Bundy
glass pallet package



Sept. 20, 1966 A. J. BUNDY GLASS PALLET PACKAGE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FiledNov. 27, 1965 FIG.1

FIG.2

u "i n E u INVENTOR Albert J. Bundy BY Eel "(07111 ha g 72,601 r Och w.

ATTORNEYS p 1966 A. J. BUNDY 3,273,706

GLASS PALLET PACKAGE Filed Nov. 27, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 27 H 25 I5 2527 H N N 2| FIG. 5

C c/ l 25 26 N N B [5 28 FIG.7

INVENTOR ATTORNEYS Alberr J. Bundy United States Patent Ofiice PatentedSept. 20, 1966 3,273,706 GLASS PALLET PACKAGE Albert J. Bundy,Kingsport, Tenn., assignor to American Saint Gobain Corporation,Kingsport, Tenn., a corporation of Delaware Filed Nov. 27, 1963, Ser.No. 326,470 1 Claim. (Cl. 206-62) This invention relates to thepackaging of flat glass sheets such as window panes, and has for itsobject the provision of a pallet package of such glass. The inventionprovides a pallet package consisting of a simple and inexpensivecontainer for securing a bundle of glass sheets which enables thepackage consisting of the container and bundle to be handled as a palletby mechanical means such as a fork lift truck or pallet loader.

In accordance with the invention several sheets of flat glass of uniformrectangular dimensions are formed into a bundle with or withoutinterposed cushioning separators, such as paper, corrugated paper or thelike, between the adjacent sheets, and the container is secured to thebundle. The container comprises a supporting base such as rails forsupporting the bundle above a floor for the insertion of a pallet loaderand end guards or caps attached to the rails which engage, secure andprotect the ends of the bundle, and bands surrounding the package whichhold the caps in bearing contact with each end of the bundle. The bundleof glass is set in an edgewise upright position with the lower edgesresting on the rails and the end guards are applied there-over. Thebundle consists of a large number of identical flat sheets either indirect contact with each other or with interposed paper between adjacentsheets or the bundle may consist of several small bundles the sheets ofwhich are secured together as with tape binding. For example, in onetype of bundle twenty such small bundles may be arranged together toform one large bundle which may also be secured with tape or the like ifdesired.

The invention accordingly provides an improved pallet package of fiatglass in which any suitable number of individual sheets or small bundlesof individual sheets are securely held together in an upright positionbearing edgewise on a rigid base at each end and protected by end guardsor caps which are held in tight secure contact with the ends of thebundle solely by surrounding bands;

The invention will be better understood after considering the followingdiscussion and the accompanying drawings in which FIG. 1 is aperspective view of a small bundle of window glass such as may be usedto form a bundle of glass for a package of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of a pallet package of window glass comprisingseveral of the small bundles of FIG. 1; FIG. 3 is a sectional view takenat 33 of FIG. 2; FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken at 4-4 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a plan view of another embodiment of a pallet package of theinvention;

FIG. 6 is a side view showing one end of the pallet package of FIG. 5,and

FIG. 7 is an end view of the pallet package of FIG. 5.

The small bundles S of window glass illustrated in FIG. 1 compriseseveral sheets or panes of window glass 1 with a separator such assheets of paper or a powdered material 2 interposed between the adjacentpanes of glass in a sort of sandwich arrangement. The bundle of glassand paper separators is bound together at each end by binding tape 3.This binding tape may be of any suitable type such as a plastic orrubber tape having means for securing it in position. For example, thebundles S may comprise twelve sheets of glass 24 x 24" or any otherconvenient number of desired sizes.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4 several of the small bundles S are arranged inan upright position forming the large bundle B of the package in aclosely packed assembly which is mounted on the container. The sheets ofthe bundle B are drawn together in a closely packed assembly whichprevents movement. The container comprises two rails 4, preferably ofwood such as 2 x 4 lumber on which end portions of the glass sheetsrest. Any other suitable material of suflicient size may be used. Inorder to support the rails 4 above the floor it is necessary to providecorner posts 5 so that there will be clearance under the glass or underthe rails for the insertion of the forks of a lift truck. These cornerposts may be wooden blocks nailed to the rails 4. The cross railsprovide bearing means for supporting the bundle. The bundle of glasssheets is arranged with the sheets in an upright position with the underedges resting upon the rails. Suitable sheet material such as a sheet ofcorrugated paper 6 with sufficient strength to help hold the rectangularbundle as a cube is applied over each end of the bundle and is securedas by nails N to the sides of the rails. Preferably the sheet 6 isfolded back on itself to form the double thickness side sections 7 andthese double thickness sections are bent over the sides of the bundle ateach end and secured as with nails N to the ends of the rail and to thecorner posts forming reinforced side protectors. Wood strips 8 and 9such as 1 x 4 x inch lumber which are the length of the unbent portionof the corrugated end cap are placed over the corrugated sheet and thenthe steel bands 10 and 11 are placed over the wood strips and tightlysecured together by well known means such as the clamps 12 and 13. Thesteel strapping bands compress the sheets of glass so that the frictioncreated by the pressure forms a rigid unit which resists slippage. Thecorrugated paper 6 and the strips 8 and 9 form an end guard or cap forthe large or composite bundle B, and the two caps, one at each end ofthe bundle are held solely by the surrounding bands 10 and 11. FIGS. 2and 4 show six small bundles S forming the bundle B resting on the crossrails and the paperboard end guards completely covering the ends of thebundles and a short section of the exterior sides of the bundles. Theupper and lower edges of the glass sheets of the assembled bundles liein a substantially flat horizontal plane and the entire load of glassrests on the end rails.

When the type of package of FIGS. 2 to 4 is at least 30 inches tall inover-all end width and the rails are supported on posts 5, there isenough space between the posts for the insertion of the fork of astandard lift truck and the package can be supported on the fork by theend rails.

The pallet package of the invention illustrated in FIGS. 5, 6 and 7comprises a container formed largely of two end caps C, a glass bundle Bconsisting of several sheets of glass in sideby-side upright positionand surrounding steel bands 15 and 16 which, without additionalassisting members, secure the caps in snug contact with the ends of thebundle.

The bundle B consists of any desired number of sheets of flat glass b inupright side-by-side position and in faceto-face contact with eachother. They may be of any desired size such as 2 to 3 feet in width andsay three to six feet in length. The steel bands bind the bundle ofglass sheets so tightly that they act as a unit cube and become a rigidcomponent of the package.

Each end cap is preferably formed of lumber and consists of an end rail17 such as 2 x 4 lumber or the like on which the lower edges of thesheets of glass sheets rest. The remainder of the end cap may be formed,for example, of 1 x 6 x inch lumber. The sides 1-8 and -1-9 are securedwith nails N at the bottom edges to the end rail 17. The upper edges ofthe sides and the ends of 18 and 19 are secured with nails N driventhrough the end strip 20 and the top strip 21. To secure the end capagainst shifting out of square alignment, the diagonal brace bars 22, 23and 24 are nailed to the edges of 18 and 19. The end of the glass bundleabuts against the inner surface of top s t-rip 20 and the diagonal bracebars 22, 2'3 and 24 and the bundle rest-s on the rails '17.

The pallet package of the invention illustrated in FIGS. 5, 6 and 7comprises end caps C, a glass bundle B consisting of several sheets ofglass in side-by-side upright position and surrounding steel bands 15and 16 which, with-out additional assisting members, secure the caps insnug contact with the ends of the bundle and hold the sheets tightlytogether as a unitary bundle which gives rigidity to the package. It isto be understood that the glass sheets of bundle B fill the entirespace; the central sheets have been omitted for clarity of illustration.

In forming the pallet package of FIGS. 5, 6 and 7 sheets of glassforming the bundle are placed on a frame which has a sloping sideagainst which the sheets of glass are placed one-at-a-time with theirends resting o nthe rails 17. When the desire-d number of sheets havebeen assembled the end side portions of the outer sheets are coveredwith cushioning material, such as corrugated paper 25 and 26 and thepreviously assembled parts of the end cap consisting of sides 18, 19,upper strip 20, top 21 and braces 22, 23 .and 24 are slipped over theends and secured as by nailing to the end rail 17. The end caps may becompletely constructed as shown, in which case the bundle B is assembledwhile resting on a temporary base and then the end caps and corrugatedpaper are slipped thereover. When both end caps are in position, twosteel bands 15 and 16 are placed thereover and tightened and fastened aspreviously described. The glass bundle is a part of the package whichcontributes to its strength and rigidity. There are no members exceptthe two steel bands holding the end caps against the bundle and theentire container consisting of the two caps and bands are relativelyinexpensive and disposable after delivery of the glass.

In this embodiment of the invention, it is advantageous to packagesheets of glass which are at least 36 inches in length so that the forksof a standard lift truck can be inserted under the bundle B and betweenthe rails 17. In

other words the package is lifted by the fork bearing on the under edgesof the glass sheets of the bundle.

The pallet packages of the invention are very heavy and are shippedeither by truck or railroad car. In order to prevent shifting ordisplacement of the package, the package advantageously includes anglebrackets 27 and 2 8 which are secured to the sides 18 and 19 by nails N.These brackets have holes H by means of which the brackets may besecured to the floor of the truck or car.

One important characteristic of the package of the invention is that thetight binding of the package creates friction between the sheets so thatthe bundle acts as a unit utilizing the strength of the glass as a massresulting in a very strong unit package.

I claim:

A pallet package of sheet glass comprising a bundle of flat glass sheetsin closely packed side-by-side arrangement with the flat surfacesupright and secured in a container having two end caps only, an end capover each of two opposite ends of the bundle, each end cap comprising anattache-d cross rail in transverse position with respect to the sheetsof the bundle on which the ends of the bundle rest with the sheets inedge-bearing contact with each rail, each end cap having an end andsides which cover and bear against the end and a part of the sides ofthe bundle, metal bands surrounding the bundle and both end caps whichhold the sheets together and provide the only means which hold the endcaps in pressed contact With the ends of the bundle, and elevating meanson the crossrails which hold the bundle sufficiently above a floor orthe like for the insertion thereunder of the fork of a lift truck.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 748,999 l/1904Stockman 206- 2,692,064 10/1954- Koester l0855 X 2,903,126 9/ 1959 Heath206-60 X FOREIGN PATENTS 300,878 9/1932 Italy.

THERON E. CONDON, Primary Examiner.

LOUIS G. MANCENE, M. L. RICE, Assistant Examiners.

